


The Soldier & The Iron Man

by wearenotsoldiers



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Beauty and the Beast, M/M, S.H.I.E.L.D. lack brains, Sort of AU, Tony has anger management problems
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-04
Updated: 2013-01-08
Packaged: 2017-11-23 14:32:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/623223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wearenotsoldiers/pseuds/wearenotsoldiers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain America awakens from a seventy year nap to find out that Howard Stark's son has been missing for a year, and a certain master assassin went missing herself looking for him. S.H.I.E.L.D. sends him off with the intentions that the three of them will return, but it seems that Howard's son isn't what he's cracked up to be, and doesn't seem so human, either. An Avengers take on Beauty and the Beast.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic! Whaaaaaat. This is an Avengers take on Beauty and the Beast. Movieverse because RDJ and Chris Evans, plus Samuel L. Jackson's badassery. Enjoy!
> 
> Special thanks to my cousin, Liz, who helped me write this and also gave me inspiration. x
> 
> Also, this is just a short introductory chapter. Hopefully they'll become longer as time goes on.

_Once upon a time, though not too long ago, there lived a very rich man by the name of Tony Stark. Although he had the money to buy anything his heart desired, he was cruel, selfish, and unkind._

_One night, an old beggar woman came to his door, asking for shelter. She then held up a circular core of light, much like the one he had in his chest. He became angry and accused her of stealing before turning her away. She asked politely again, and he refused. Her shell of ugliness then melted away to reveal a beautiful woman who claimed she was from a far away world named Asgard, and had no way of returning. He attempted to apologize, but it was far too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. As punishment, she captured him within one of the metal suits he had created himself and placed a powerful spell on the people who were in the house with him._

_Ashamed that he would remain in the suit of armor he was once proud of, the billionaire took his friends and the technology he had to build a castle in the hills, where no one, not even S.H.I.E.L.D., could find him. His cell phone became a mirror that would be his only window to the outside world._

_The arc reactor that she had offered him was truly enchanted. It would glow for exactly eighteen months before flickering out. If he could learn to love and be loved in return by the time the reactor's light faded, the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to live as a piece of scrap metal for all time. A year passed, and he and the others fell into despair and lost all hope. After all, who could ever love an iron man?_

~

Steve Rogers knew that as soon as he woke up after seventy years of being frozen in ice in the Arctic Ocean, all hell would break loose. He escaped the "hospital room" he was being held in and ran out onto Times Square, which was a humongous slap in the face by reality, and then got approached by a black man in a long coat and an eyepatch, which was just... strange. Especially for someone who was the head of a secret agency that his friend Howard Stark co-founded.

_"You've been asleep, Cap. For almost seventy years."_

Director Fury's words made him inwardly cringe every time he thought of them. It was a bitter welcome back, one that reminded him of the few people he had to call a 'family', and a reminder that most, if not all of them, were long gone.

And he knew as his fists collided with the sandy punching bag that Fury wasn't here just to check on him this time around. Not with the couple of manilla folders that were being grasped tightly in the hands that were behind his back.

"Trouble sleeping?" the director asked after Steve glanced up at him. He cautiously stepped into the light of the apartment complex's gym, his single eye taking a good look around before resting back on the super soldier.

"Slept for seventy years, sir," Steve replied, knocking the bag around a little more. "I think I've had my fill." He took another jab and paused, memories overflowing his brain before he clenched his teeth and continued what he was doing.

"Then you should be out celebrating. Seeing the world," Fury pointed out. Steve huffed out a small, amused breath. From the little he had witnessed and what Ms. Romanoff and Agent Barton had told him, Fury didn't make jokes often.

"You here with a mission, sir?" he asked, reluctantly backing away from the punching bag and unwrapping his hands from the bandages. "Trying to get me back into the world?"

"I suppose you could say that." Fury held out the folders. "Barton is currently wrapped up at the moment; he recommended that you take this one. He also mentioned that you weren't too busy as of late."

Steve took the folders with a false smile. "Just getting myself adjusted. Thought he, of all people, would understand."

Fury couldn't help but smirk. "He didn't sleep in the ocean for a few decades, Cap." 

The blond sighed as he finally opened the folder, and his eyebrows knitted slightly. "Ms. Romanoff went missing... Anthony Edward Stark... sir-?"

"It looks like the case on Howard Stark's son isn't so cold anymore," Fury explained. "As I've said before, Tony has been missing since this time last year, and it seems that some clues have popped up concerning his whereabouts. We sent Agent Romanoff to go and analyze the situation, and she hasn't responded back."

"How long has she been gone for?"

"Approximately sixty hours."

"And this is unlike her?" Fury gave him a look, and Steve wanted to laugh at his own stupidity. "Right. How soon would you want me in... Malibu?" He squinted in slight confusion at the name before looking back up at the director.

"As soon as possible would be nice," the man said before his hands clasped behind his back. "There will be a black SUV outside the apartment complex at six o'clock this evening... don't be surprised if the agent driving it is an overly excited fanboy with trading cards."

Steve smiled a little. "Captain America trading cards, huh? Didn't think I was special enough to get my face on a couple of those."

"He has entire vintage stacks," Fury assured him. "Very proud. Y'know, Howard's son was a big fan of you, too, but he'd never admit it. I'll keep in touch." With that, he turned on his heel and left the gym, leaving Steve to his own thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

_Not much surprises Natasha Romanoff, but she couldn't help but gape at the size of the castle. Campers and beachcombers way down at the shore claimed they'd never seen any castle in the woods, but being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, she had to explore, anyway. Rain poured down on her as she pulled up her umbrella and fast-walked over to the tall, iron gates. She impatiently pushed past them and walked up to the oversized front doors, straightening out her blouse before knocking on one of them._

_"My name is Natalie Rushman, I'm with Legal! Is anyone-" The door creaked open slightly, and she gratefully stepped inside. "Thank-" She stopped herself when she realized nobody was there, and her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. Nope, no movement, no nothing. A few flames flickered into existence, and Natasha's jaw tensed at how gigantic the room was. It was a large hallway with what seemed to be a purple red-carpet look-a-like leading up a large staircase, which then split in two directions. Out of the corner of her eye, a small door opened, and she cautiously headed towards it and peered inside._

_"Is anyone here?" she asked. "I'm Natalie Rushman, with Legal..." She trailed off when she realized that, yet again, she was alone, and settled down in the plush chair that sat in front of a marble fireplace. Knowing it was a bad idea to take the mission, she massaged her temples and put her feet up on the foot rest._

_"Look at you, making yourself all relaxed," a voice spoke, and she jumped back._

_"Who's there?" She tensed and clenched her teeth when a golden candelabra hopped off of the mantlepiece and onto the footrest._

_"Y'know, you don't seem so surprised to see a walking, talking candlestick," he commented, and she sighed._

_"I've seen scarier." She kept her defensive stance._

_"Really?" He threw his "arms" into the air. "You don't even recognize the voice?"_

_Natasha squinted at him and asked in surprise, "...Rhodey? What the hell happened to you? I thought you, Pepper, and Happy went on a year-long vacation."_

_Rhodey grunted. "Ugh, it's a long story. But I'll tell you this: it was Tony's fault."_

_She rolled her eyes. "When_ isn't _it Tony's fault? Where's Pepper and Happy?"  
_

_"Here," came an unenthusiastic voice. A small clock and a teapot hopped into the room and stood themselves beside Rhodey._

_Natasha fell back in the chair. "My God... Tony seriously screwed this one up." The three household items suddenly went wide-eyed, and she knitted her eyebrows. "What? What is it?" She turned her head to see a red and gold helmet peering itself around the chair to meet its glowing eyes with hers._

_"Boo."_

~

Natasha crossed her arms as she sat in the musty cell, glaring up at the robotic man who stood on the other side of the bars. "Stark, just let me go."

"Can't do that."

"Why not?" she snapped. "And why are you in your suit? Can't we talk like normal human beings?"

He snorted. "Now, you and I both know that neither of us are normal human beings. Besides, I can't get out of the suit. I've been doomed to be Iron Man for the rest of my life. Well, unless I can find true love, but both of us know that won't happen, either..."

"I'm surprised that you haven't gone out there and gotten a girl. You used to have so many of them on your arm," she said in monotone. "I'm sure those bimbos can't tell the difference between you and the suit. You said it yourself... you and the suit are one-" She cut herself off and leaped out of the way when he shot a ray at her with one of his repulsors.

" _Shut up!_ " he snarled. "I'm not letting you go because I know what you're going to do. You're gonna run your little ass back down to S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ and you're gonna tell Fury where I was and what I was doing-"

"Sulking," she growled. "You've been sulking because you know how bad your romantic history has been. Just go out there and find someone."

"It's not that easy when you're a robot!"

"You're not a robot, you're a man in a suit of armor," she reminded him. "There's got to be at least one person in this world who can see past the shell and fall in love with you or whatever-"

"Obviously, you're not that person. I can see you clearly, _Natasha_. You're looking at me strangely, you can't see past this." He gestured at his suit. "Tell me one good reason why I should let you go."

Natasha sighed, crossing her arms again. "We found Cap. He was in suspended animation for seventy years in the Arctic Ocean." She smirked a little when he didn't react- well, not that she could see. "I thought you'd be a little more excited than that."

"Oh, I'm _ecstatic._ Childhood hero randomly pops up on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar, who would've guessed?" He leaned against one of the bars. "What're you gonna do? Brainwash him so he doesn't mourn the people he just lost? Aw, you're so kind..."

"For a man who just lost everyone he cares about, he's doing fantastic," she informed him. "Maybe you'll get the chance to meet him and a few other people if you-"

" _I'm not letting you go,_ " he repeated angrily. "I wouldn't have cared if you had ressurrected Elvis, I still wouldn't let you go, because, contrary to your beliefs, I know you." He walked towards the door before calling over his shoulder, "I thought you'd be a little more happy to see me."

"Then you don't know me as much as you think you do," she retorted, and he huffed and slammed the door behind him.

~

The helicopter ride over Southern California was... awkward, to say the least. Well, for Steve it was. Just as Fury told him, the agent who had brought him there, Agent Phil Coulson, was indeed a fanboy and kept complimenting him and telling him how he was the world's first superhero.

"So... this Tony Stark... he built a suit of armor for himself?" he asked Coulson.

"Yeah, it was sort of like a revenge on the people who kidnapped him. After he realized that the terrorists were using Stark Industries' weapons, he shut down weapon manufacturing and pretty much built one for his own personal use. I gotta give it to him, the guy's like a Stephen Hawking."

Steve looked up at him from the file in confusion.

"He's like a... really smart person," Coulson clarified, and he smiled. "Y'know, it's an honor to meet you. Officially. I mean, I sort of met you. I watched you while you were sleeping." He paused, and stammered, "Well... I, uh- I was present... while you were unconscious... from the ice."

Steve awkwardly walked towards the cockpit and Phil awkwardly followed. "Well, I hope I'm the man for the job."

"Oh, you are. Absolutely. We made modifications to the uniform. I had some input."

Steve looked at him. "Uniform? Aren't the stars and stripes a little... old-fashioned?"

"The stars and stripes are a comfort for some people," Coulson told him. "If you're gonna be rescuing someone, they're gonna want to know that they're in the right hands."

"We are preparing for landing," the co-pilot announced, and Steve and Coulson sat back down in their seats as the helicopter landed in the middle of a forest. Steve hurriedly changed into his uniform and grabbed his shield and helmet before following Coulson outside.

"There's a castle a few miles north from here," Coulson said, pointing his finger in the right direction. He then gave Steve a small, clip-like object. "This is a tracking device. It'll tell us where you are at all times. We landed out here just in case the helicopter alarmed any kidnappers in the castle."

Steve huffed out a breath. "I'll do my best, sir."

~

"Mr. Stark?" Pepper asked as she nosed the door to her boss's room open with her pale orange spout. "Tony? Are you awake?"

"Come in," came the response, and Pepper smiled as she hopped over to the chair. "How are you doing?" she asked gently. "Want some tea?"

Even past the golden faceplate, she knew he was smirking. "You ever carry coffee in that belly of yours, Pep?"

She rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to get you some?"

"No, I'm fine with tea." She looked back at the doorway, where Happy was pushing the tea cart with as much effort as his little gears could spin.

"Here's... the cart," he said with a grunt.

"Thank you, Happy." Pepper then proceeded to pour some of the tea into a cup when Tony spoke.

"How many months do I have left?" he asked no one in particular.

"Six exactly, sir," Jarvis, the castle's AI, replied politely.

Tony then looked down at the teapot. "I have to let her go, don't I? She's gonna start breaking things."

"Well, personally, I thought locking her up in the dungeon was overkill. I think that the actual _dungeon_ is overkill, you didn't need to spend an extra three weeks building that ugly thing, Tony."

"Maybe I wouldn't have locked her up if she had been a little more giddy to know that I was still alive..."

Pepper chuckled softly. "You know Natasha isn't one to show her emotions often. She's one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents and a master assassin, I don't know why you didn't expect less."

"I'm sure if Hawkeye had gone missing for a year and found him looking like a red and gold robot, she would've broken down and cried," he growled.

"Tony," Rhodey called from behind the door. "Someone's going through the gate. I think they're here for Black Widow."

~

It was dark when the captain arrived at his destination. Steve had whistled at the sight of the castle before slipping through the iron gates and up to the front door. He pushed open the door, trying to ignore an uneasy feeling in his gut as he made his way through the long hall.

"Hello?" he asked, knocking on the door at the bottom of some stone steps. The door creaked open and Steve stuck his head in. Natasha was huddled in the corner of a cell, her arms wrapped around her knees and her breath coming out in small, icy clouds.

"C-Cap?" she stuttered.

"Yeah, I'm here." He snuck forward, his eyes searching for a keyhole in the bars somewhere before looking back at Natasha. "Who did this to you?"

"Wh-why don't you ask the guy that we were looking for?" she growled, and they both flinched when the door swung open and harshly hit the wall.

Steve glared at the figure in the doorway. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"A fan," the figure replied as it stepped into the slant of moonlight, and Steve swallowed. Threatening indeed... it was a man in red and gold metal armor, and bright blue eyes that glowed like a cat's. Perhaps the most interesting piece of the suit was the triangular shape on the chestplate, which, like the eyes, made the upper part of the armor visible to anyone looking at it.

"Why did you lock up Natasha? And where's Tony Stark?"

"Well, I locked up Natasha because she trespassed. We even have a little bit of history together. Ain't that right, _Nat_?"

The redhead furrowed her brows at him... it was almost as intimidating as when Fury did it.

"And Tony Stark? Well, that's complicated."

"Take me instead," Steve offered suddenly. "She and Tony, wherever he is, don't deserve to be here."

"And you do?" she asked incredulously. "After just waking up from a seventy year coma? Cap-!"

"Natasha, it's my choice," he said softly. "I'll go back to you and Fury and Barton soon, I promise. I just gotta deal with Tin Man first." He glared up at the armored man, who seemed to be sucking air through his teeth.

"Damn, Cap... that was harsh." He then lifted up his hand and blasted the lock with the repulsor. "You're free to go, hothead."

Natasha stood and looked sympathetically at Steve before glaring at 'Tin Man'. "You're not gonna hear the end of this," she snarled before pushing past him. She glanced over her shoulder at Steve one more time and headed out of the dungeon.

The armored man watched as Steve walked into the cell and sat on the broken mattress in the corner. "What are you doing?" he asked, and Steve looked at him in confusion.

"Uh... going in my cell?"

"You're not staying in there. Pepper!"

Steve almost had a heart attack when an orange teapot hopped to his side. "Yes?"

"Take the captain to the guest room."

"Pepper" made her way over to Steve. "Just follow me, if you please."

"Dinner's at seven sharp; you either come downstairs to eat it or you don't eat anything at all," the armored man told him before heading to the western staircase.

"Yeah, right," Steve muttered under his breath, and Pepper frowned a little before leading him to the opposite staircase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH. Chapter Dos. I'm sorry if the storyline seems like it's going too fast already, but my cousin and I have typed out the entire story and have had it on my laptop for a while now, and with school and extracurricular stuff, we haven't been able to do anything TOO in-depth.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy the story!


End file.
